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The process of dating the wood in a Renaissance cabinet is explored to demonstrate the authenticity of an artifact in this exhibition video.

Playing on touch screens installed in an exhibition in close proximity to the cabinet itself, this video reveals the process of dendrochronology—the science dealing with the study of the annual rings of trees in determining the dates and chronological order of past events. Original footage shot on location throughout the research processes, as well as 2-D and 3-D visualizations, examine the process of X-raying the cabinet to reveal hidden end grain that can be compared with tree rings from a region and period that would establish the authenticity of the cabinet.

Press & Awards

American Association of Museums Muse Awards, Bronze, Science, 2006

This kiosk presents an in-depth exploration of a single object. It consists of labels and videos displayed on small screens near a large cabinet. The content carefully explains dating techniques used for furniture and how they were applied to this particular piece. The judges were impressed with how this exhibit successfully explained part of the museum process, giving visitors an understanding of how museums work. The exhibit is installed around the cabinet itself, allowing visitors to directly observe many small details about its age. The visual design of the content was simple, and the length and pacing of each video allowed visitors to quickly grasp concepts.